Bark to School with Daisy: September BarkBox Review + Buy One Month Get One Month FREE!

September 22, 2016
Some posts may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

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Hey fur kids, this month’s BarkBox is just in time for Back to School. Grab your number 2 pencil and start taking notes because school’s in session and you’ll learn everything you need to know about BarkBox monthly subscription service for dogs plus we’ll be handing out some super special Extra Credit for all of our star students who pay attention til the very end of class!

BarkBox 101

BarkBox is a subscription service especially for dogs. Each month, your dog receives a customized delivery of toys, treats, goodies and dog gifts, handpicked by the fine folks at BarkBox.com. Each month’s box has a unique and clever theme. You can check out some of our previous BarkBox Reviews to see photos and descriptions of past themes including: Country Fair, Summer Olympics, California and more.

BarkBox subscription rates start as low as $20/month with Free Shipping…a GREAT value compared with ordering similar items individually. And I can’t really put a price on how excited Daisy gets each month when her box arrives. Her daddy and I just love the surprises each month. BarkBox always sends us items we would never have thought to look for. Many of the toys and treats are designed and produced exclusively for BarkBox and you can only get them with a BarkBox subscription.

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September BarkBox Review

The theme for the September BarkBox is Bark To School.  Daisy’s box included just about everything school supply a pup needs for the new semester. Keep in mind that items in boxes will vary depending on your dog’s size, allergies and other options you can customize in your BarkBox profile. Here’s a look at what was in the September BarkBox for Daisy along with the retail price if you would like to purchase items separately:

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Teacher’s Pet Treats (retail value $6): It’s 2016; an apple on Teacher’s desk doesn’t cut it anymore. Earn the best seat in class with these tasty pork & apple treats, made in the USA by Treat Simple. The ingredients list is delightfully short: oat flour, pork, honey, apples, canola oil. That’s it. No wheat, no soy, no weird fillers, no goofy preservatives. Just 5 tasty ingredients.

My Doggy All-Natural Apple Duck Treats (retail value $8): These crunchy biscuits are baked in the USA by with duck, apples, and egg blended into a hearty rye flour batter.

YAk Chew (retail value $11): This Yeti Dog Chew brings a taste of the Himalayas right to your door. An all-natural dog chew made from yak and cow milk. It’s an incredibly long-lasting and tasty chew!

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BarkBox Composition Notebook: each month’s BarkBox comes with a special foldout card that gives you info and tips to get the most out of your box. It will usually let you know any special hashtags to use when sharing your BarkBox photos on social media.

Chew Percent Milk Large Dog Toy (retail value $12): Even the most lactose-intolerant dog can enjoy this milk! The carton is insanely difficult to open, just like the real thing! Underneath ballistic nylon is a cube-shaped spikey squeaker, because the best milk is chewy.

Treat Dispensing Number 2 Pencil (retail value $14): With this treat dispensing rubber pencil, get your dog to do their homework instead of eating it! And there’s a very special “number 2” potty joke right on the toy, for all you poop emoji lovers…

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Extra Credit (FREE BarkBox Coupon Code)

We think you ALL deserve to be on the honor roll so we are skipping the final exam and offering a special treat instead! Here’s an optional extra credit assignment for you smarty pups:

Use BarkBox coupon code: WOOFWOOFMAMA and snag a FREE month of BarkBox with any plan.

If you are a math wiz, then you will be able to calculate that the 12-month and 6-month BarkBox plans are the best value with the biggest savings, but this Free BarkBox deal will work with the month-to-month (cancel any time) plan as well. That means you can pay for one month and get the next month free.

Visit BarkBox.com to get started customizing a box for your dog. Class dismissed!

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Pet Parent Emergency Preparedness + FREE Pet Rescue Alert Window Sticker

September 19, 2016
Some posts may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

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As pet parents, it’s our job to know what to do in an emergency. Are you prepared? This month ASPCA is helping us to get prepared, with tips and information for disaster preparedness month.

None of us likes to think about bad things happening, but it’s important to take the time now to make certain that you and your furry family members have everything you need in case of a life-threatening emergency. One of the best ways to do this is to create a disaster prep safety kit with all of the necessary supplies should any type of disaster affect your community.

To help you create your home’s emergency kit and keep your pets safe, the ASPCA has provided an excellent checklist of items.

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In addition to creating a pet emergency first aid kit, you can also TAKE THE DISASTER PLEDGE and receive a free window sticker that alerts rescue personnel that you have a pet at home.

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Want to learn even more about preparing your home, family and pets for an emergency or natural disaster? Visit ready.gov/animals for tips on Pet and Emergency Planning.

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Celebrating the Life-Changing Work of Guide Dogs for the Blind #GuideDogMonth @NaturalBalance

September 14, 2016
Some posts may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

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As regular readers probably know, Daisy is a brand ambassador for Natural Balance Pet Foods and they are a big sponsor of our blog. We’re super excited to partner with Natural Balance to help raise awareness and support during National Guide Dog Month.

Guide Dog Month was inspired by Natural Balance co-founder, Dick Van Patten, who was impressed by the intelligence and training of guide dogs. During a visit to a local guide dog school, he was blindfolded and experienced how guide dogs provide mobility and assistance to visually impaired and blind people. After learning about the costs, dedication and commitment to raise and train a guide dog, he was inspired to help raise awareness and support the cause.

I’ve known from early on that Daisy and I have a close bond, but we are truly inspired by the amazing bond between people who are blind and their guide dogs. In addition to providing enhanced mobility for their handlers, guide dogs can also be a social bridge, opening a world of possibilities for friendship and human connection.

Meet Michelle and Oscar. They are just one of the many human-canine teams with inspiring and life-changing stories!

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Born with glaucoma, Michelle spent a big part of her young life unable to navigate the world around her. Later, when Michelle became more mobile, it came with its fair share of bumps and bruises. Lacking depth perception, she lived in a constant state of discomfort and found it increasingly difficult to get around.

Around the same time that she started her undergraduate degree in psychology, Michelle made the split second decision to apply for Guide Dogs for the Blind program, and she has never looked back. From the get go, Michelle knew that the program had done a marvelous job in matching her with her beautiful golden guide dog Oscar—they immediately fell into step with each other, and within two months knew they had a lifelong partnership.

Even more surprising was the sheer number of people who approached Michelle on the first day of the new semester. The questions on everyone’s lips were: “Who is your furry friend?”, “Where can I get one?”, and of course “Can I pet him?” With this positive attention, the pair was able to walk with confidence everyday—whether it be on a small grocery shopping trip or a longer trip to visit Michelle’s sister in Los Angeles. Together, the two tackle intense psychology and jiu jitsu classes, but always leave room for playtime. Michelle and Oscar are primed to tackle deadlines and take the mental health field by storm.

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Natural Balance is partnering with Guide Dogs for the Blind to help support the work they do. Since 1942, Guide Dogs for the Blind has empowered lives by creating exceptional partnerships between people, dogs and communities. They’ve got the largest Guide Dog school in the country and are dedicated to providing high quality student training services with extensive follow-up support for graduates.

  • Services are provided to students from the United States and Canada at no cost to them.
  • More than 14,000 teams have graduated since their founding.
  • Approximately 2,200 active guide dog teams are currently in the field.

YOU can help support the life-changing mission of Guide Dogs for the Blind in 2 easy steps:

  1. Help raise awareness by sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter and/or Pinterest
  2. Donate to Guide Dogs for the Blind

Meet other amazing human-canine teams and read their stories at: http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/GuideDogs.

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